Author Archive

Mining the News (10/3/24)

Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

Note: There are a ton of end-of-season team reviews I need to get through. Here is round one. Once I get through this group of articles, the news cycle dries up.

American League

Angels

Brandon Drury blames his struggles on migraines, nagging injuries, and attempts at adding exit velocity.

Migraines and some nagging injuries played a role in these struggles, but Drury told Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register that some swing changes last offseason might’ve been the biggest culprit, as his attempts to add exit velocity backfired badly.

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Crowdsourcing: Beginning of Season Closers

Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Every season, I try to determine how much closer turnover there is from the last drafts to the season’s end. For example, here is last season’s report.

I try to verify the beginning of the season section before every manager disappears for a much-needed break. Here are the values I think are right after consulting my Twitter followers. Could people spend a minute looking over the list and help verify the name on their favorite team(s)? Thanks. Read the rest of this entry »


Final(ish) Games Chat

2:03
Jeff Zimmerman: I’ll be watching the AZ-SD game

2:08
Jeff Zimmerman: Summary of the eight different scenarios.

2:08
Clark Olson: Go SD. End the season today.

2:09
Jeff Zimmerman: I would have preferred a Sale start this week, but I understand.

2:10
Jeff Zimmerman: Pfaadt has been horrible against lefties, five in the lineup today.

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Mining Injuries & Roster Moves

MLB.com has a unique news section where each team updates their injuries and transactions. I’ve found this information useful but it’s unique. Each team’s webpage (not an article) is in flux with information constantly appearing and disappearing. I plan to check for updates (each blurb is dated) and report any information. I’ll quote the page to preserve the information. The information disappears into the abyss so quoting the source is the only way to keep it.

I won’t report headline news but will try to dig a little deeper. Additionally, I want this article to be a quick reference so don’t expect a certain word count. I’ll provide the useful info and then fantasy managers can figure out how best to utilize it.

Enjoy and please give me any suggestions. Read the rest of this entry »


Jeff Zimmerman’s 2024 Lessons Learned

1. I must have the auction/draft order done before traveling.

Every year the Tout Wars auction is held in New York City. I knew I would get to town 24 hours before my auction and planned to create my auction strategy. On my flight, I turned my knee and could barely walk by the time I got to my room. I spent the next 24 hours dealing with the knee. Read the rest of this entry »


Mining the News (9/24/24)

American League

Astros

Tayler Scott pitched through a back injury.

Scott is on the injured list with what the Astros described as a “thoracic spine strain” — a back injury he acknowledged trying to pitch through all month. Scott surrendered nine hits, five walks and four earned runs in 5 2/3 September innings, inflating an already unsustainable workload.

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Sunday Night Waiver Wire & FAAB Chat

7:31
Jeff Zimmerman: Welcome.

7:32
Jeff Zimmerman: First off, there will be a FanGraphs chat next weekend. If the playoffs are on the line, the main side will likely be hosting the chat. If not, I will.

7:33
Jeff Zimmerman: Here are the winning bids in the three ToutWars 15-team leagues. Ignore the prices managers were spending all they had left.

7:33
Jeff Zimmerman:

7:33
HappyFunBall: That’s for being here this season. Good times!

7:34
JG: Need homers, drop XEdwards for : BRodgers(Coors) , Westburg or Albies ? Roto

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Waiver Wire Report (Final Report)

In the article, I cover the players using CBS’s (about 40% or less initial roster rate) and Yahoo’s ADD/DROP rates. Both hosting sites have the option for daily and weekly waiver wire adds. CBS uses a weekly change while Yahoo looks at the last 24 hours. Yahoo is a great snapshot of right now while CBS ensures hot targets from early in the week aren’t missed. The players are ordered for redraft leagues by my rest-of-season preference grouped by starters, relievers, and hitters. Read the rest of this entry »


Mining the News (9/21/24)

American League

Blue Jays

Will Wagner will have his knee operated on, should be ready for Spring Training, and the team sees him as a second baseman.

Will Wagner will get his left knee scoped on Thursday after meeting with specialists in Cleveland, and while the procedure will come with some rehab time, the Blue Jays expect him to be ready for Spring Training next February without any issues.

“I think he’s probably a little bit relieved that he’s getting this taken care of now,” John Schneider said Wednesday. “It’s also about him understanding from us and the organization how he’s viewed, the way he played and what we’re looking for from him heading into the offseason and next year. He’s shown really well. He’s a guy we’re confident in, and rightfully so.”

Schneider wants to leave as many doors open as possible, but it’s clear that Wagner has impressed him enough to get a shot at playing second base on a near full-time basis.

“He can play first and we dabbled at third with him in Buffalo, but we like what we see at second,” Schneider said. “We think he’s got a really good game for that spot. There’s a fine line between the versatility aspect, which we do value, and keeping a guy regular at a certain spot. I can see him getting a lot of reps at second.”

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Lineup Analysis (9/20/24)

Note: With just one week left, I’m going to be more focused on guys to use or not use for next week. Matchups will matter more.

American League

Angels

Jordyn Adams with eight straight outfield starts.

Eric Wagaman with eight straight third base starts.

Gustavo Campero started four straight in right field. Read the rest of this entry »